After being chosen by the Ice Queen

Quiet room.

Su Wanqing sat upright in a hardwood chair. On the table opposite her sat a zither, its body simple and ancient, yet faintly glowing. Master Xuanming stood beside the zither, his expression solemn. Behind him stood a young Taoist priest, holding an open jade box containing a jade needle gleaming with golden light.

General Chen and Zhao Tie stood by the door, like two guardian deities.

Master Xuanming spoke: "Miss Su, relax. I am about to use the Spiritual Inquiry Technique. This technique is harmless; it is merely to sense the essence of your soul and whether you have any spiritual connection with the deceased Holy Maiden. Please do not resist."

Su Wanqing nodded, her heart pounding even faster. She had no idea how to "relax," she just tried her best not to think about those terrible possibilities. Suddenly, Gu Yan's calm face flashed into her mind, and she felt relieved.

Master Xuanming lightly flicked his whisk, his magical power flowing like a gentle stream towards Su Wanqing's brow. Su Wanqing felt a warm force seep into her consciousness. She did not resist, nor was she able to resist.

That magical power swirled through her consciousness, causing Master Xuanming's brows to furrow even more deeply. This woman's soul was entirely different from ordinary people, yet it possessed none of the pure and spiritual qualities characteristic of a saintess.

"The spiritual connection... is faint and difficult to discern, yet its essence is entirely different." Master Xuanming withdrew his magical power.

General Chen and Zhao Tie exchanged a glance.

"In that case, let's proceed with the bloodline tracing." Master Xuanming took out the golden jade needle from the jade box. "This needle is called 'Tracing the Source.' It requires a drop of blood from the young lady's fingertip, which should be dripped onto the Phoenix Swamp below the seventh string of the zither. If the young lady possesses the bloodline or has a very deep karmic connection, the zither will naturally respond."

Su Wanqing stared at the gleaming needle tip, bit her lower lip, and reached out her hand. The young Taoist priest stepped forward and pricked the tip of her index finger. A drop of crimson blood oozed out.

Master Xuanming guided the drop of blood, allowing it to fall steadily onto the designated spot on the zither.

The blood droplet landed on the ancient wood grain, but instead of immediately seeping in, it rolled tremblingly.

The room was deathly silent, all eyes fixed on the drop of blood and the ancient zither.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

The guqin did not respond.

Su Wanqing's heart sank to the bottom, feeling a kind of absurd sense of relief.

Master Xuanming also shook his head slightly, preparing to speak.

Suddenly, as if drawn by an invisible force, the drop of blood seeped into the body of the zither. The Nine Heavens Jade Zither trembled, and its strings resonated.

A faint light suddenly burst forth from the body of the zither, transforming into a vibrant, clear radiance that illuminated the entire quiet room. Within the radiance, the phantom of a phoenix hovered, and an illusion of a hundred flowers blooming flashed by.

Su Wanqing's body was enveloped in this clear light. A wisp of extremely pure spiritual energy surged from the depths of her dantian, resonating with the zither's glow.

"This is... the aura of the Holy Spirit?!" Master Xuanming exclaimed in shock, almost dropping his whisk.

General Chen and Zhao Tie were completely stunned; the scene before them was beyond their expectations. Could the extraordinary phenomenon of the zither be faked? Perhaps some evil magic could. But the holy energy naturally emanating from the woman's body could not be faked under any circumstances. This woman, even if not the reincarnation of the Holy Maiden, must have an inextricable karmic connection with her!

Su Wanqing was stunned. She felt a warm current surge from the depths of her body, instantly flowing through her limbs and bones, washing away the fatigue of the past few days, and replacing it with a strange peace, and she felt a sense of closeness to the guqin.

Master Xuanming suppressed the turmoil in his heart and bowed to Su Wanqing: "This humble Taoist has been impolite. There is indeed a holy spirit emerging within you, and you resonate with the relics of the Holy Maiden without any hindrance. This is the will of Heaven, and cannot be faked by human power. Even if you are not a reincarnation, your connection with the Holy Maiden is certainly profound."

Commander Chen immediately realized his mistake, his attitude completely changing. He clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your humble servant Chen Yuan respectfully welcomes the Holy Maiden's spirit! I have offended you greatly before, please forgive me! This matter is of great importance, and I must immediately escort the young lady to the prefecture, from where the prefecture will report to the imperial court and Longhu Mountain. The reappearance of the Holy Maiden's spirit is an auspicious sign for the nation."

Zhao Tie bowed in greeting.

Su Wanqing stared blankly at the three respectful figures before her, unsure of what to do.

A gentle knock came at the door of the quiet room. Gu Yan's calm voice came through: "Junior Sister, is the examination complete?"

...............

A quarter of an hour ago, in that dilapidated earth god temple, Gu Yan was sitting opposite the storyteller.

The old man had lost all the slickness of a street performer. He sat cross-legged on a dusty prayer mat, his gaze deep and unfathomable: "Young friend, you say you have doubts after hearing my story?"

Gu Yan spoke frankly: "Officials Li and Cha come and go without a trace, their methods are extraordinary, their goals are clear, and when they retire after achieving their goals, they are guided by golden light... Such behavior is unlike that of cultivators in this world, more like..." He paused, observing the storyteller's reaction, "...a passerby."

A glint flashed in the storyteller's eyes, and he stroked his beard and smiled: "Well done, young traveler. You are absolutely right. Indeed, those two are not permanent residents of this world. They came from 'outside,' and having fulfilled their promise, they have returned to 'outside.'"

"How can we go outside?" Gu Yan asked, his heart racing slightly.

The storyteller did not answer directly, but instead looked Gu Yan up and down.

"Young friend, you possess a strange inheritance, your aura is unpredictable, and you are accompanied by the yin and yang; you are no ordinary person. But... are you searching for your way home?"

"Forced to wander here, we urgently need to find a way back."

"The journey home is long and arduous, and cannot be achieved without a destined connection." The storyteller pondered for a moment. "As far as I know, the stable passages between this world and the 'outside' are all controlled by Longhu Mountain and a few ancient ruins, making them extremely difficult to access. However..." He changed the subject, "If one wishes to find an opportunity on their own, perhaps one could try their luck at the gaps in the sky or the abysses of the earth. Where the heavens and earth have flaws, the barriers are often weak, and occasionally, if a foreign object falls in, there might be a crack to follow. However, it is extremely dangerous, with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death."

"The sky is leaking? The earth is dying?" Gu Yan noted down these two keywords.

"Tianlou refers to a region where celestial phenomena are abnormal and spiritual energy is chaotic and turbulent. It may be a place prone to natural disasters or the ruins of an ancient battlefield. Dijue refers to an abyss where dragon veins are severed and life is exhausted. It is often an extremely dangerous and perilous place," the storyteller explained. "In addition, if one can communicate with some ancient beings who know about the 'outside world,' one may be able to obtain their guidance. For example, some old dragons deep in the Dragon Palace of the Four Seas, or some ancient demons sleeping in the Northern Wilderness, may know some secrets. However, they may not be easy to talk to."

Although the information was vague, at least there was some direction. Gu Yan bowed and thanked him.

The storyteller waved his hand and sighed again: "Judging from your aura, young friend, your foundation is extraordinary, seemingly bearing the marks of time and exhibiting a transformation of Yin, quite different from the common cultivation methods of this world. Here, I happen to possess a fragment of an ancient cultivation technique I acquired by chance, called the 'Mirage Shadow Carving Technique.' It is neither orthodox nor evil, emphasizing the use of illusion to reflect reality, carving the shadow of time onto oneself, a method for cultivating the soul and illusory images. Perhaps it can be beneficial to your aura. I will give it to you, young friend, as a way of establishing a good connection."

As he spoke, he took out a thin, cool-to-the-touch blue piece from his satchel. It was neither jade nor stone, and covered with ancient seal script as fine as ants.

"I will always remember your generous gift."

"No need for formalities. Everything has its own destiny." The storyteller stood up, dusted himself off, and resumed his disheveled wanderings. "My tale is finished; it's time for me to continue my travels. Young friend, the journey of the martial world is long; take care..."

After saying that, he laughed, slung his satchel over his shoulder, hummed a little tune, and swayed out of the temple. His figure quickly disappeared into the alleyways.